The Ambiance was as it should be accept there were only 4 people in there eating besides us…read more Outstanding service by Bayleigh, but the food was a major disappointment.
My fellow veteran buddy and I stopped by the IHOP on Hwy 74 in Rockingham around 1:30 PM to discuss some upcoming events. We had a really bad experience here in the past, but one of the servers, Bayleigh, was the sole reason we decided to give it another shot.
Coincidentally, Bayleigh ended up being our server again today. Even though the restaurant was short-staffed--a cook actually had to seat us because he was waiting on the next shift--Bayleigh willingly stayed past her shift just to take care of us because she recognized us. Her dedication and customer service were truly 10/10.
Unfortunately, the kitchen didn't match her effort:
The Food Quality: They were out of ingredients for my original sandwich choice, so I went with the bacon, avocado, chicken sandwich on whole grain toast. My buddy ordered the beef Philly. Both came with onion rings, and I got a side of fries.
Kitchen Mistakes: My sandwich was initially brought out missing the avocado, but Bayleigh caught it right away and had the kitchen fix it. When it came back, the chicken looked burnt, and the toast was so dry, hard, and over-toasted that it was literally falling apart in my hands--I had to smash the avocado just to bind the sandwich together.
Inedible Saltiness: Worst of all, both of our sandwiches were so brutally salty it tasted like the lid fell off the shaker and dumped right onto the food. Neither of us could finish our meals.
We ended up just drinking our drinks, paying, and leaving. Bayleigh apologized sincerely for the kitchen's mistakes, and she was easily the best part of the entire visit. Management really needs to address the kitchen staff and food prep, because servers like Bayleigh shouldn't have to carry the burden of a terrible kitchen. The 3 stars are for experience with the food. But Bayleigh gets a 5 stars review